MC: Yeon Mu Hwi (Ma Bi Gwang)
Age: 8
---
[1 — The Wind Manor Barrier]
The next morning, Mu Hwi followed his father into the courtyard.
The sun was warm, but his heart beat like a drum.
Taejin:
"As you know, Mu Hwi… the Wind Manor Martial School doesn't accept anyone who just shows up."
Mu Hwi already knew that much.
Wind Manor was one of the most respected martial schools in the region.
Even kids from noble families weren't guaranteed acceptance.
Taejin:
"They only accept new students through an entrance examination—
and it's held twice a year."
He paused.
Taejin:
"You're in luck. The second exam is in five months."
Mu Hwi quietly exhaled.
Five months.
Enough time for him to understand how strong an eight-year-old body could become.
But also not enough time to draw attention to truths no child should know.
He had to do this carefully.
---
[2 — Father's Unexpected Gift]
Taejin placed a small wooden box in front of him.
Taejin:
"These might help you with your training."
When Mu Hwi opened it, he saw three old martial arts manuals, worn from age.
MC:
"…Father, where did these come from?"
Taejin:
"From my trading days. Someone I knew gave them to me."
"At that time, I planned to sell them. But no martial artist wanted them."
He chuckled awkwardly.
Taejin:
"They said the techniques were too basic, too common, too… ordinary."
He smiled softly.
Taejin:
"So I kept them instead.
Perhaps the heavens saved them for you."
Mu Hwi looked at the manuals again.
Father wasn't a martial artist.
He didn't know how precious a "basic" technique could be.
But Bi Gwang…
Bi Gwang knew.
Basic martial arts are the foundation of everything.
And sometimes…
…they hide secrets.
---
[3 — The Three Manuals]
Mu Hwi carefully laid the manuals on the table.
1. "Iron Flow Breathing Manual"
A simple breathing technique for beginners.
2. "River Palm Basic Form"
An introductory palm art emphasizing flow and consistency.
3. "Low Stance Basic Footwork"
A movement foundation for balance and stability.
Nothing special.
Nothing rare.
Nothing that should stand out.
But—
Mu Hwi's eyes widened.
MC (thought):
This structure…
These diagrams…
This meridian route… I've seen this before.
Not in these exact forms—
but in his own past-life creations.
His breathing technique used a similar pattern.
His palm theory began with the same concepts.
His movement foundation had identical principles.
He flipped through the pages faster.
All three manuals were signed with the same name:
Hong Gi (홍기 / 洪起)
He froze.
MC (thought):
Hong Gi…?
Who is this person?
He had devoured thousands of manuals in his past life,
but this name never appeared in the Sacred Library.
Was he:
A forgotten martial artist?
A failed genius?
A wanderer whose work never reached the world?
Or someone erased from history—just like Bi Gwang himself?
The thought made his heart throb strangely.
---
[4 — Asking for a Training Place]
Mu Hwi closed the manuals slowly.
MC:
"Father… is there a quiet place around our home? Somewhere I can train without disturbing anyone?"
Taejin stroked his chin thoughtfully.
Taejin:
"There is one place."
He pointed toward the back garden.
Taejin:
"A small courtyard behind the storage building. It's isolated, and people rarely use it."
MC:
"May I train there?"
Taejin:
"Of course. I'll have it cleaned today."
Then he placed a gentle hand on Mu Hwi's head.
Taejin:
"Train well, my son. But don't push yourself too hard."
Mu Hwi nodded.
---
[5 — A Familiar Feeling]
When Taejin left, Mu Hwi carefully pressed his hand against the first manual.
He could feel it.
Inside these pages—
the same seed of logic he used to build his own past-life martial arts.
MC (thought):
Hong Gi…
Did you also walk the same lonely path I walked?
He turned to the next manual.
More similarities.
More overlapping theories.
More familiar forms.
His heart raced.
MC (thought):
These aren't random basics.
They're incomplete pieces of a greater whole.
His eyes gleamed.
MC (whispering):
"…Hong Gi… you were a genius too, weren't you?"
---
[6 — The Beginning of Training]
Five months.
Three manuals with a mysterious origin.
A quiet courtyard.
A new future.
Mu Hwi's fingers tightened around the pages.
MC:
"…Five months is enough."
For anyone else, impossible.
But for a man who studied martial arts for seventy years…
For a man reborn with a perfect body…
For the forgotten genius of the Demonic Cult…
Five months was more than enough.
He closed the manual.
MC:
"Wind Manor Martial School…"
"Prepare yourself."